“PTSD is an increasingly more common and severe disability.”

“As more service members are deployed into combat situations, it is essential to understand the epidemiology of disability from PTSD to target appropriate interventions and to prevent or mitigate deleterious long-term mental health outcomes in service members and in those transitioning to civilian life.” So say Elizabeth Packett and colleagues, researchers from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the Journal of Traumatic Stress [2012, 25, 485-493] (p. 486).

Each campus is different in terms of student populations and their needs. Some campuses have higher numbers of veterans and military family members attending and some only have a few. What works on one campus may not work on another; there is no cookie cutter mold. Therefore it is highly recommended that institutions take the time each year to sit down with their student veterans and listen to their needs. This can be done through formal, or informal, focus groups. By giving the students a chance to express their needs the institution is gaining a more informed perspective